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Leigh Witchel Wins Guggenheim


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It's a pleasure to be able to post this press release, not only because Leigh Witchel has won such a prestigious award, but because this year, a Guggenheim went to a BALLET choreographer.

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Dance as Ever, Inc.

36 West 44th Street, 707

New York, NY 10036

Email: dae@panix.com http://members.aol.com/dnceasever

For Immediate Release

Date: April 13, 2001

Leigh Witchel recipient of 2001 Guggenheim Fellowship

New York, New York:

Dance as Ever is honored to announce that Dance as Ever's founder and

choreographer, Leigh Witchel has been named a 2001 Fellow of the John Simon

Guggenheim Foundation. The Fellowship in choreography is to support Mr.

Witchel's work over the next year. Previous recipients of this award have

included Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor. Mr. Witchel is the first

choreographer concentrating in classical ballet to receive this honor in more

than a decade.

Mr. Witchel began choreographing in 1987 and has made over 50 ballets to

date. He is a 1998 recipient along with Dance as Ever, Inc. of the Choo-San

Goh Award for Choreography and was a 2001 nominee for a CalArts Alpert Award

in the Arts. Dance as Ever, founded in 1993 by Mr. Witchel has produced seven

concerts in New York City working with dancers from the finest ballet

companies in the country, including Charles Askegard and Peter Boal.

For more information on the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation: http://www.gf.org

[ 04-13-2001: Message edited by: alexandra ]

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Thanks. The foundation contacted me about a month ago, but it took time to finalize and confirm the decision, so I've been sweating since then. I believe that anyone working in the arts had best be prepared to go unrecognized for their entire career and to derive satisfaction from the work itself, so any recognition is a pleasant surprise to me.

The best part was when my 95 year old Nana congratulated me on winning a Duncan Hines prize. Duncan Hines is a brand of cake mix in America, the kind she's used for probably 60 years, so it was understandable. I thought that was breathtaking. Stupid Guggenheim! I want a Duncan Hines award!

Thank you for all the good wishes. They mean a lot to me.

[ 04-13-2001: Message edited by: Leigh Witchel ]

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Originally posted by alexandra:

not only because Leigh Witchel has won such a prestigious award, but because this year, a Guggenheim went to a BALLET choreographer.

. . .And it's especially gratifying that it went to one of ours!

. . .And I, too, hope to see more of Leigh's work soon.

[ 04-14-2001: Message edited by: salzberg ]

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Warmest congratulations, Leigh - I'm really thrilled for you, and I love your grandma's reaction! (and if the Duncan Hines people are looking in here they might even consider establishing an annual Duncan Hines award...)

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